Loom and method of weaving



Feb. 20, 1968 N. A. BEDUHN LOOM AND METHOD OF wEAvING 4 Sheets-Sheet, 1

Filed Sept. 12, 1966 Q m Q ATTORNEYS Feb. 20, 1968 N. A. BEDUHN LOOM ANDMETHOD OF WEAVING Filed Sept. 12, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.Noe/WANG. 55944 W W, M

AT OENEEV5 Feb. 20, 1968 N. A. BEDUHN LOOM AND METHOD OF WEAVING FiledSept. 12, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 M 7 {W M Z N m a M w M m I m M N Feb.20, 1968 N. A. BEDUHN LQOM AND METHOD OF WEAVING 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledSept. 12, 1966 INVENTOR v Nae/WW H. asow'w AT ORNEYS ire tats atent3,35%,571 Patented Feb. 20, 1%58 nice AESTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Theinstant loom is specifically designed for weaving Fourdrinier wire beltsfor paper making machines. The lay is guided for reciprocable movementon a predetermined path which may be either arcuate or angular.

Guides on the sides of the loom have channels for rollers connected withthe lay. In general the lay moves parallel to the lower warp wires ofthe shed. Instead of being stationary, the shuttle race moves with thelay and is so close to the lower warp wires that it would contact thesewires near the fell if it were not for an arrangement by which the angleof the lay changes slightly as it approaches the fell.

The lay is preferably made strong but is as light in weight as possible.Since beat-up is preferably effected by the base portions of the reeddents, the common heavy lay cap may be omitted. In contrast withconventional looms for making comparable products, the lay does notdepend on gravity for beat-up. Required kinetic energy is achieved bygreater speed with lower mass. Moreover, control of mass is desirablyprovided by weights which are mounted on a rock shaft connected with thelay, the weights preferably (but not necessarily) being radiallyadjustable with respect to the axis of oscillation of the shaft. The laymovement is preferably effected pneumatically in both directions, thelay advance being effected by constant air pressure in a cylinder inwhich the air acts as an air spring in the return of the lay to cushionits retractive movement. The return is also preferably brought about bysupplying an opposing air pressure. The lay, being relatively light,moves sharply toward and from the fell.

The shuttle boxes are mounted on the frame independently of the lay.This is very desirable to relieve the lay of their inertia and momentum,which, being concentrated rather than distributed, tends to producedeflection when beat-up occurs. They are movable parallel to the warpbut have only very limited movement compared to that of the lay. Thearrangement is such that the shuttle boxes are biased forwardly. As thelay approaches its retracted position, it engages the shuttle boxes tomove them rearwardly in registry with the race, thereby assuringalignment between the shuttle and the race at the time the shuttle ispicked.

The shuttle is preferably picked pneumatically, although this is notessential. Regardless of how the shuttle is picked, it is an importantfeature of the present invention to speed up loom operation by pickingthe shuttle while the lay is still in course of retraction away from thefell. Theoretically, at least, the picking operation could even be doneby hand. In the preferred method of operation, the shuttle is inmovement rearwardly with the lay and is picked just as soon as the racereaches a point at which there is clearance in the shed for the shuttleto pass through from one side of the loom to the other.

Elimination of the suspension usually provided by swords greatly reducesthe over-all height of the loom frame, the height being determined inthe instant loom by the supports for the shed-forming heddles. Theheddles function conventionally and are used in any desired numher andactivated in any desired sequence to effect the desired pattern ofweave.

The shed will be changed immediately following beatup. Because there isnormally an immediate retraction of the lay, there need be no rebound,as in a gravity-actuated lay, although rebound may occur if desired forspecial purposes. Retraction of the lay occurs substantially instantlyfollowing the movement of the heddles. The new shed will have beenformed and the shuttle boxes engaged by the retracting lay before theclearance is adequate to pass the shuttle. As soon as the race reachesthat point at which shed clearance is adequate, the shuttle is picked,

. the lay and race then coming to rest subject to air spring cushioning.

Background of the invention The patent to MacKay 3,017,904 discloses alay guided for rectilinear movement to eliminate suspending swords.While the MacKay patent teaches means for greatly reducing the height ofthe loom, it does not disclose any means for keeping the bases of thedents as close to the warp wires as is possible in the instant loom inwhich the lay is kept very close to the warp wires as it approaches thefell, being thereupon tilted at the last moment to avoid contact betweenthe race and the fell. Whether the path of the lay is rectilinear orarcuate, this procedure may be used to keep the bases of the dents inextremely close proximity to the warp wires so that the beat-up pressureoccurs at those points at which the dents are strongest, next to thesupporting lay beam.

The instant invention also differs from MacKay in that the shuttle raceis carried by the lay, the shuttle boxes being yieldably mounted on theframe to have only limited movement in the direction in which the layoperates, the shuttle boxes nevertheless being engaged to move with thelay just before the shuttle is picked.

It is possible to speed up the weaving operation by a third and more onthe basis of the improvements herein disclosed. In addition, improvedcold-working of the wire in the knuckle forming operation results fromthe faster, sharper beat-up. The lay being approximately thirty toseventy percent lighter than the lay of a comparable prior art loom, canbe controlled more easily and accurately than heretofore.

Description of the invention In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view embodying the invention, portionsbeing broken away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view fragmentarily showing a frontelevation on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view partially in side elevation butprimarily in longitudinal section of the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2, thelay being shown in retracted position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the lay in its advancedposition.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of one of the guides upon which the laysupporting carriage operates.

FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation on the line 7-7 of FIG. 2, thelongitudinally y-ieldable shuttle box and picker being shown in full andthe frame and other parts of the loom being fragmentarily illustrated.

FIG. 8 is a detail showing the drive from the cam shaft to the pickershaft and including the cam and switch for controlling air flow to oneof the picker air cylinders.

Support on the loom frame 10 of the warp supply roll 12, roll 14, breastbeam 16 and cloth roll 18 may be conventional. The overhead heddle beam20 supports any desired number of heddles, three of which are shown at22, 24 and 26 connected to be operated from a heddle control box 28 inany desired manner.

The lay comprises a transverse beam 32 upon which the reed or comb 34 ismounted to carry the dents 36 between which the warp wires 38, 40 arepassed. .If a lay cap 42 is used, it may span the warp wires and becarried by end plates 44 from the beam 32. Supported by bracket 46 fromthe lay beam 32 is the shuttle race 48, which lies within a smallfraction of an inch beneath the lower warp wires 38 of the shed 50 asdefined by the heddles 22, 24 and 26.

It is important that the beat-up at the fell 52 be in very closeproximity to the bases of the dents 36, where these are mounted in thefell 52, thus making it possible to use a very light lay cap 42 or todispense with this completely, as in MacKay {3,017,904.

In order to operate the shuttle race in extremely close proximity towarp wires 38, while avoiding contact between the shuttle race 48 andthe fell 52, a slight change in angle of the lay is desirable. Thesimplest way of achieving the desired results is to mount the lay oncarriages which are so guided that the lay changes its position ordirection of movement slightly either on an arcuate path or uponangularly related paths. FIG. 4 shows the lay in a retracted position inwhich the carriage 56 supports the end thereof at one side of the loom.The carriage plate has a rear roller 58 which operates in channel 60 ofcam plate 62. At the forward end of the carriage is a roller 64operating in channel 66. The channels 60 and 66 are angularly related asclearly appears in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the retracted position of the layshown in FIG. 4, each of the rollers 58 and. 64 is near the rear end ofits respective channel. In the advanced position of the lay as shown inFIG. 5, each of the rollers is near the forward end of its respectivechannel. The difference in angle has tilted the entire lay slightly tohold the shuttle race 48 free of the fell 52 but still in immediateproximity thereto so that beat-up occurs near the bases of therespective dents 36.

The lay is advanced and retracted by link 68 in the course ofoscillation of the rock shaft 70 and its rocker arm 72 to which the link68 is pivoted. Another rocker arm 74 on the rock shaft 70 is pivotallyconnected by link 76 with the piston rod 78 of a piston 80 in an aircylinder 82. This air cylinder is supplied with air through pipe 84 at aconstant pressure determined by the pressure regulating valve 86. Theair pressure on piston 80 acts constantly in a direction tomove the laytoward the beat-up point and fell 52. Retraction is effected byintermittently effective opposing air pressure. As an example, thepiston 90, operating in cylinder 92, is connected with the lay. Pistonoperates in air cylinder 92. Air is supplied throughpipe 94 subject tothe control of solenoid valve 96 energized by switch 98 closedperiodically by earn 100 and cam shaft 102.

Through conventional means not shown, the cam shaft 102 may be used tocontrol the mechanism in heddle control box 28 for the operation of theheddles which change the positions of the warp wires constituting theshed. Other conventional loom operations may also be performed subjectto control of cam shaft 102. The pressure supplied periodically by thesolenoid valve 96 is sufiicient to overcome the fixed thrust of the airin cylinder 82, thus acting for the retraction of the lay. As soon asthe cam 100 ceases to hold valve 96 in its pressure supplymg position,the lay movement is retarded and cushioned by the fixed pressure incylinder 82, which then acts as an air spring to bring the lay to rest.

As the lay approaches its said retracted position, arms 104 on the endsof lay beam 32 pick up floating shuttle boxse 106 at opposite sides ofthe loom to cause these to moye momentarily with the lay and to maintainthem in registry with the shuttle race during the picking of theshuttle. The shuttle boxes are floated on guide rods 108 (FIGS. 1 and 2)which are reciprocable in bearing 110 and biased forwardly bycompression springs 112.

When the respective shuttle boxes are picked up by the fingers 104, theyare in registry with the race 48. Thus side with a pivotally mountedbraking flange 124 which.

can be retracted by the piston 126 in pneumatic cylinder 128.vPreliminary to the picking of the shuttle, the braking flange 124 iswithdrawn from pressure contact with the side of the shuttle, leavingthe shuttle free for abrupt picking projection across the race. Whilepicking may be done in any desired manner, it is contemplated andpreferred that the picking be pneumatic. This is effected in thisexemplification by the admission of compressed air to the cylinder 138which lies beside the shuttle box (FIG. 2) and has its piston rod 132equipped with a shuttle projecting head 134.

Control of the picking operation may conveniently be accomplished bymeans of a solenoid valve 136, which is energized by switch 138 when thelatter is closed by a cam 140 on a picker shaft 142 operated at half thespeed of the cam shaft 102 as shown in FIG. 8.

While fully pneumatic operation of the lay as above described has provedentirely satisfactory, the particular embodiment herein disclosed hasbeen equipped, as a precaution, with a cam 146 on the cam shaft 102which, in the event of failure of the pneumatic ram 90, 92 will engagecam follower roller 148 on the arm 150 to retract the lay. Provision ismade for mechanical retraction only, since this is a switch-controlledfunction. The advance is effected by the constant air pressure incylinder 82 and does not require a switch such as might be susceptibleto breakdown. It will be noted in FIG. 3 that the cam follower roller148 is slightly out of contact with cam 146. Normally it plays no partin the operation of the devices.

Endwise movement of the lay is prevented by rollers 154 supported fromthe lay by brackets 156 and bearing on cam plates 62.

I claim:

1. In a wire weaving loom comprising a frame, and means includingheddles for holding warp wires spaced as upper and lower warp wires toprovide a shed to receive a shute wire, the warp wires of the shedconverging toward a fell line;

the combination of a lay, substantially fixed guide means for supportingand guiding the lay formove ment between advanced and retractedpositions in general parallelism with the lower warp wires, means forchanging the angle of the lay as it approaches the fell line, a shuttlerace mounted on the lay in immediate proximity to the lower warp wires,and a reed mounted on thelay and having dents interposed between saidwires and constituting means for the beat-up of a shute wire at saidfell line, beat-up being effected by the lower portions of said dents inimmediate proximity to said lay.

2. A loom according to claim 1 in which the means for changing the angleof the lay comprises channels in said guide means having angularlyrelated portions, said lay having a carriage at each end and providedwith 'rollers riding in the angularly related channels.

3. A loom according to claim 1 having lay advancing means subject tosubstantially constant bias and having lay biasing retracting means withmeans for varying the bias thereof intermittently between valuesalternately greater and less than the bias of said advancing means.

4. In a wire weaving loom comprising a frame, and means includingheddles for holding warp wires to provide a shed to receive a shutewire, the warp wires converging toward a fell line;

the combination of a lay, means guiding the lay for movement between aretracted position behind the fell line and an advanced beat-up positionat the fell line, an air cylinder having a piston provided with a motiontransmitting connection to said lay for movement thereof toward saidadvanced position, means for subjecting the piston in said cylinder tosubstantially constant pneumatic pressure in a direction to bias the laytoward its adv-anced position, and means for subjecting the layperiodically to a momentary opposing bias toward its retracted position,said opposing bias being sufliciently great to overcome for the durationthereof the substantially constant bias exerted by the pneumaticpressure in said cylinder.

5. A loom according to claim 4 in which said cylinder and the pistontherein constitute an air spring effective after termination of theopposing bias to retard the movement of said lay as it approaches itsretracted position.

6. A combination according to claim 4 in which the lay comprises a beamdisposed transversely of the shed, and the motion transmittingconnections to the lay include a rock shaft having at least one armprojecting therefrom, and a weight on said arm for increasing themomentum and inertia of the lay.

7. A loom according to claim 6 in which said arm is provided with meanson which the weight is adjustable, and the weight has means for fixingits position of adjustment with respect to the axis of said rock shaft,whereby to provide an adjustable moment for said weight.

8. A wire weaving loom comprising a frame having side members, means forsupplying warp wires between the side members and toward a fell line,and means including heddles for holding selected said wires spaced asupper and lower warp wires to provide a shed, shuttle means forsupplying a shute wire for projection through the shed, a lay, meansguiding the lay for advancing and retracting movement to and from thefell line, a shuttle race connected with the lay to partake of saidmovement and disposed immediately beneath the lower warp wires of saidshed, shuttle boxes at opposite sides of the frame and in which theshuttle is receivable, means supporting respective shuttle boxes forlimited movement along the frame side members in general parallelismwith the movement of the lay, means biasing the respective shuttle boxestoward the fell line, and means connected with the lay for transmittingmotion of the lay to the shuttle boxes in opposition to said biasingmeans as the lay approaches its retracted position, said means aligningthe respective shuttle boxes with the shuttle race in the final movementof the lay toward its retracted position, said shuttle being movablealong the race through the shed from one shuttle box to the other, andmeans for picking the shuttle during retractive movement of the lay andthe shuttle boxes.

9. A loom according to claim 8 in which the means supporting the shuttleboxes comprise short guide members beside the frame side members, andthe means for biasing the shuttle boxes toward the fell line includessprings individual to the respective shuttle boxes, the means connectedwith the lay including fingers projecting from the lay to engage theshuttle boxes for movement thereof in opposition to their respectivesprings.

10. A loom according to claim 8 in which the lay is provided with airsprings, and means subjecting the air springs to substantially constantpressure to provide a substantially constant bias acting on the lay in adirection to urge the lay toward the fell line, said lay being furtherprovided with means for intermittently exerting momentarily a layretracting pressure on the lay in opposition to the constant pressureaforesaid, said intermittently exerted pressure exceeding the bias ofsaid air spring during the period for which the intermittent pressure isexerted, said air spring thereupon serving to cushion the remainingretractive movement of the lay.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,747,722 2/1930 Lucas 139-1902,159,865 5/1939 Shimwell et al. 139-190 2,428,313 9/1947 Hindle 139-1902,839,092 6/1958 Purdy et al. 139-190 2,865,407 12/1958 Billing et al.139-188 FOREIGN PATENTS 942,380 5/ 1956 Germany.

HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner.

